Bobbi Brown and other founders share their advice for starting your own company
Business Insider highlights the rise in entrepreneurship in 2026, driven by AI tools that lower barriers to entry. Founders like Bobbi Brown share insights on building brands in an evolving economic landscape.
Why it matters
Understanding how AI is democratizing business creation is essential for tracking shifts in the modern labor market and startup ecosystem.
Kirill Bigai, CEO of Preply; Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty; and Ben Goodwin, founder of Olipop. Preply/ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Olipop Americans filed over 3 million business applications in the first six months of the year. AI tools are making it easier for some entrepreneurs to build brands of their own. Business Insider spoke with five founders, including makeup mogul Bobbi Brown, about starting a business. Now might be the perfect time to launch that business you've been dreaming about. Americans filed more than 3 million applications to start businesses in the first six months of 2026, up 16.5% from a year earlier, according to US Census Bureau data. The uptick comes as AI lowers the barriers to entrepreneurship, and shifting job requirements and recurring layoffs make some traditional careers feel less secure.
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